New Millennium of Julian Calender came and went by. The hoopla associated with Y2K is over. Doomsdayers are dozing to spin a new date for the doom.
But there is a pause. Everything is in a pause; in a suspended animation. As if nothing is happening. This pause is not confined to any one sector, ideology or thought. It appears that everything has come to a halt.

Politics

The world map was never so hazy. Starting with USA; Obama became president with the promise of new leadership with ability to change. His fiery speeches failed to materialise into anything tangible. The only achievement if it could be called as such is killing of Osama without due process. Economy, unemployment and homeless are no better. Aid to Banks has been sucked dry by system. Jobs are like roses in snow fall.
Europe is not only in economic crises but far worse it is in leadership crises. No leader has risen to the occasion to show dynamism to solve the problems. Every solution merely postpones evil day.
Russia is back to Putin’s pocket with no leadership to solve the problems of unemployment and corruption. Under Putin, it can not be any better than his first regime.
Middle east is same. Kingdoms as usual. Dictators have fallen and are falling but no leader has risen to guide through anarchy and chaos.
Africa is still being used as testing ground for the products and medicines produced by Corporations and distributed as free aid. Better off nations are having silly fights with neighbours as usual while one cannot walk on the street without being robbed for the watch and wallet.
Japan is likely to advertise in news paper for new competent prime minister while Korea is in same flux as it is for decades.
China’s experiment with communism is long over but illusion is lived through the single party.
India is undergoing a leadership crises in both major parties/groups. It’s Prime Minister is in office without winning any popular election. He is supposed to be an economist but country is in the grip of highest inflation with lowest growth in decades. It’s Finance Minister is elevated to highest office as President for this rare achievement of making currency without sub-decimal numbers like Japanese lira.
Myanmar is in Military rule as ever. Religious/linguistic apartheid in Sri Lanka continues. Pakistan sleeps every night to wake up to a dictator from military but has to live with the leadership of widower of its late popular leader.
Afghanistan is reeling through its poverty alone while its President complains of loneliness being unable to administer beyond Kabul. CIS is never heard in news except in advertisements for escorts and masseurs.
So the big picture is ‘limbo’.

Science, Technology and Internet

We are living in information age is beyond doubt. Now any one who knows Google, can boast of any knowledge.
Cars are being tried to run without drivers even though there are billions of unemployed people in the world.
Every problem which was solved with man power is now solved with energy. But no new method of generating energy has been invented for past several decades.
Invention for need has been replaced by invention for greed. Nothing has happened since IC, and printed circuit board. Now inventions are made for new marketable products and not for new technology.
Over one century ago penicillin was invented. We still rely on same technology to boost immunity through antibiotics. No medicine yet to accelerate healing.
Computers are around for five decades. What was super computer 2/3 decades ago is now a smart phone with better graphics. Progress is only in speed, storage and display. Same Unix/linux and C plus for several decades. Nothing new except the Cloud computing which will drain more energy.

Environment

Clean Air is scarce in cities. Clean water is a luxury in Third World. Packing materials which are mostly not biodegradable, are choking the earth. No leadership is forthcoming to face the issue. No invention is in sight to restore environment. Barren or Genetically modified seeds, which can not produce seeds, if permitted, would lead us to global famine in few decades but nobody cares in this profit driven world.
The only silver lining is the find of plastic eating bacteria in Amazon Forest.

Economy

Here the matters are worst. The so called Developed Economy is worst hit. It appears that for decades, they were spending the money they had not yet earned. Even USA with its largest economy is not spared. In other words all these countries have fallen in debt traps. They have to borrow to repay debts. They will cut expenditure which is not easy, but that affects income, which will fall. The only economy sitting on surplus is China but seeking its help will also have unpalatable political price besides opening tariff gates for its goods. Economists are working overtime to find solutions. Nothing so far.

PAUSE in Civilisation

The outlook of world was never more depressing. No solution for problems. Population increasing like virus. Majority of Global Population is still under fed when not starving. Artificial boundaries called nations are choking within but would not embrace new ways of living. Environment is getting poisonous but is not noticed by politicians.
There is no new thought. No direction. No new ideology or religion or political party. No big picture of the world in future. Where are we headed? No information about this vital matter in Information Age? When will this pause end?